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An  Easy  Guide  to  the 
Constellations 

WITH 
A  Miniature  Atlas  of  the  Stars 


By 

Tames  Gall 
j  «« 

Author  of  u  Primeval  Man  Unveiled,"  "The  People's 
Atlas  of  the  Stars,"  etc. 


New  and  Enlarged  Edition 


THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 

.  P.  Putnam's   Sons 
New  York   and   London 
IRnfcfeerbocfcer  press 
1910 


Ube  IRnicfeerbocfcer  jpres0,  Iftew  J^otft 


PREFACE  TO  NEW  EDITION 

THIS  edition  of  the  Easy  Guide  to  the  Con- 
stellations has  been  thoroughly  revised,  and 
five  additional  plates  have  been  added,  so  as 
to  include  all  the  constellations  of  the  Zodiac, 
and  render  the  book  complete  for  Southern 
'Europe  and  the  United  States  of  America. 

The  letterpress  accompanying  each  map  in- 
dicates the  months  during  which  these  constel- 
lations may  be  observed  at  9  P.M.;  but  they 
may  be  seen  earlier  in  the  year  by  going  out 
later  in  the  evening;  two  hours  later  enabling 
them  to  be  seen  a  month  earlier,  four  hours 
later,  two  months  earlier,  and  so  on.  Thus 
the  constellations  of  SCORPIO  and  LIBRA, 
visible  during  June  and  July  at  9  P.M.,  are 
seen  about  midnight  in  April  and  May. 

Similarly,  by  going  out  about  two  hours 
earlier  in  the  evening,  the  constellations  may 
be  observed  that  were  visible  at  9  P.M.  a  month 
previously. 


211746 


IV  PREFACE    TO  NEW  EDITION 

The  less  important  constellations,  not  given 
in  previous  editions,  are  marked  with  a  dagger. 


INDEX  TO  CONSTELLATIONS 


(CONSTELLATIONS  MARKED  *  ARE  OF  MODERN  ORIGIN) 


Name  and  Meaning  Map 

Andromeda,  Andromeda  .         .         .         ,          .         .10 

Antlia,*  Air  Pump 25,26 

Apus,*  Bird  of  Paradise          ......     30 

Aquarius,   Water  Bearer          ......     24 

Aquila,  Eagle       '    .         .         .-        .....       8 

Ara,  Altar       .,.....,».         .         .  30 

Argo,  Ship  Argo     .         ,         .         .,       .         .         .        25,  26 
Aries,  Ram      .   *-'   .         *  .    -  .         . ,       .         .         .         .     10 

Auriga,  Charioteer  .         ,\       *         .         ....       6 

Bootes,  Herdsman  .       ^ .         .         ..        .         .         .         .     19 

Caelum,*  Sculptors  Chisel        .         ...         .         .         .25 

Cameleopardalis,*  Giraffe       .         .,       -.'        .,.'..         .29 
Cancer,  Crab  .         .         .        ".        .....         .         .17 

Canes  Venatici,*  Greyhounds  .         .         .         .         .         .26 

Canis  Major,  Great  Dog .         .    .     •.        •         •     v  *         •     J5 
Canis  Minor,  Little  Dog .         .         ..       «         ,         .         .13 

Capricornus,  Sea-Goaf     .         .         .    -    ^         ;         .         .     24 
Cassiopeia,  Cassiopeia      .  ^    T/^^T^^  • ,       .         .         .       2 
Centaurus,  Centaur          .         .         ,  %       .         .         .         .26 

Cepheus,  Cepheus    .  ....         .         .         .       2 

v 


vi  INDEX    TO   CONSTELLATIONS 

Name  and  Meaning  Map 

Cetus,  Sea-Monster          .         ,         .  .  .....      n 

Chamseleon,*  Chameleon           .         *  .  .  •         •     3° 

Circinus,*  Compasses       .         .         .  .  .  .         .     30 

Columba,*  Noalis  Dove      "•.  -\  ' ~  r . '.••  (    .  .  ,i        .     25 

Coma  Berenices,*  Bernice*s  Hair    .  .  .  .         .26 

Corona  Australis,  Southern  Crown .  t  .  .         .     27 

Corona  Borealis,  Northern  Crown  .  .^  .     .    »  -.  .  4  .      v.     19 

Corvus,  Crow          ..„.,,,„.  .  .  .         .18 

Crater,  Cup     .         .         ......         .26 

Crux,*  Southern  Cross     .         .          .  .  .  .v'"lf\     30 

Cygnus,  Swan          .         .         .         .  .  .  '  ."•-       .       7 

Delphinus,  Dolphin          .-        .         .  .  .  .         .8 

Dorado,*  Sword  Fish      .         .         .  .  .  .         .     30 

Draco,  Dragon        .         .         .         .  .  .  .         .       5 

Equuleus,  Horse's  Head .         .         .  .  .  .         .27 

Eridanus,  River  Eridanus                .«  .  .  .        25,  28 

Fornax,*  Furnace   .         .         .         .  .  -  .  .28 

Gemini,  Twins        .         .         .         .  .  .  .         .13 

Grus^*  Crane  .         .         .         .         .  .  .  .  -       .     28 

Hercules,  Hercules           .         .         .  .  .  .         .21 

Horologium,*  Clock         .         .         .  .  .  .         .30 

Hydra,   Water  Snake       .         .         .  .  .  .        17,  26 

Hydrus,*  Water  Snake   .         .         .  •  .  .  .         .30 

Indus,*  Indian         .         .         .         .  .  .  .          .30 

Lacerta,*  Lizard    .         .         .         .  .  .  ^    ..        .     28 

^LtQ^Lion        .         .         .         .         .  .  •-.--'  i:-'i6 

Leo  Minor,*  Little  Lion .         .         ,c  .  .  .         .     26 

Lepus,  Hare \  >  .-'-,.     14 

Libra,  Scales  .........     22 

Lupus,   Wolf .         .         .         .         .  .  .  .        26,  27 


INDEX   TO   CONSTELLATIONS  Vll 

Name  and  Meaning  Map 
Lynx,*  Lynx  .         «  5       •         •  t      «   •     y    ..   • ;      •     ?/•-    25 

Lyra,  Lyre      .         .  ^       .r       . •>-     ...       ...       •      -  *  •.       2 

Mensa,*  7^3/f  Mountain         .         .  '     >  . '..  *^<K   -v  *     3°'" 

Microscopium,*  Microscope      .  ~    ..  .     ;  .    - :.  -•  ;    ;.T  -     27 

Monoceros,*  Unicorn      .       ,  .         »         .         •         .  •     25 

Musca*  Australis,  Southern  Fly       .         .         »  .3° 

Norma,*  5^«ar^      .         .         .       '  . \     •  •  ;    '. \  ;.   •  •     3» 

Octans,*  ^to«/       .         .'.....  -30 

Ophiuchus,  Serpent  Bearer      .         .         .         .         •  •     20 

Orion,  Hunter  Orion       .         .         .         »         •         »  .     14 
?wo*  Peacock        .....     *      '•         ..30 

Pegasus,  Flying  Horse     .         f         «      .,    -    »         *  •       9 

Perseus,  Perseus      .         »         •         •         »        •         •  ~  •       6 

Phoenix*,  Phoenix   .         .         .         »         •        **    -     *  •     28 

Pictor*,  Painter's  Easel .         .         »         . .   -%  .         •  .3° 

Pisces,  Fishes          .     ^   ,-  ^     .         .         .    .     .         •  •      JI 

Piscis  Australis,  Southern  Fish         .         .         *         •.       •     24 

Reticulum,*  A7"^     .         .      ~ ,         -         .         .         »  •     3° 

Sagitta,  Arrow        .         .         ...         .         *  .27 

Sagittarius,  Archer .         .         *                  .         •.        •  •     23 

Scorpio,  Scorpion     .         .....      •         •  ,      *  •     22 

Sculptor,*  Sculptor's  Tools       .         '.         •         •         •  •     28 

Serpens,  Serpent      .  .      »         .         •         *         *         .  .     20 

Sextans,*  Sextant    ...         .         *         .         .  .     26 

Taurus,  ^w//  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         »  .     12 

Telescopium,*  Telescope         '  .         ...         •  -     3° 

Toucan,*  Toucan  (a  bird)      .         •        ^        '         .  -       •     3° 

Triangulum,   Triangle     .  ~~     .       T        »         *  L^  •  '     •     3° 

Triangulum  Australe,*  Southern  Triangle       .         .  .     3° 

Ursa  Major,  Great  Bear          .         .         ....  •       4 


viii  INDEX   TO   CONSTELLATIONS 

Name  and  Meaning  Map 

Ursa  Minor,  Little  Bear          .         .         .         •-••.«  4 

Virgo,   Virgin          .         .         .*-..*  18 

Volans,*  Flying  Fish Y  30 

Vulpecula,*  Fox  and  the  Goose  27 


AN  EASY  GUIDE  TO  THE 
CONSTELLATIONS 


An  Easy  Guide  to  the 
Constellations 


INTRODUCTION 

Is  it  not  strange  that  the  constellations  should 
be  so  little  known  even  to  men  of  education 
and  refinement? — men  whose  eye  can  scarcely 
turn  to  any  object  around  them  whose  history 
they  do  not  know,  and  with  whose  nature  they 
are  not  intimately  acquainted.  And  yet  Vega 
and  Capella  look  down  upon  them  night  after 
night,  and  year  after  year,  holding  on  their 
majestic  course,  not  perhaps  unnoticed,  but 
unrecognized  and  unknown.  These  two  bright 
lamps  of  the  night,  revolving  in  their  orbits 
round  the  Pole  Star,  without  ever  setting,  are 
often  pointed  to  with  admiration,  as  singular 
objects  of  beauty;  and  yet  those  who  do  so, 


2  INTRODUCTION 

although  they  know  about  Neptune  and 
Uranus,  the  moons  of  Jupiter,  and  the  rings  of 
Saturn — objects  which  probably  they  never  saw 
— do  not  know  these  two  stars  which  are  almost 
always  seen,  and  cannot  tell  where  either  of 
them  is  to  be  found. 

And  yet,  what  can  be  more  interesting  than 
to  look  up  into  the  deep  blue  sky,  and  to  name 
the  brilliant  groups  as  they  stretch  out  around 
and  above  us,  or  to  watch  the  eastern  horizon 
for  the  rising  of  some  bright  star  which  we  ex- 
pect soon  to  appear !  Surely  our  evening  walks 
would  partake  of  more  intellectual  and  refined 
enjoyment,  if  we  could  hold  converse  with 
these  silent  but  glorious  witnesses  of  their 
Creator's  power — 

"Forever  singing,  as  they  shine, 
'The  hand  that  made  us  is  divine.'  ' 

As  the  almost  utter  want  of  knowledge  of 
the  constellations  is  largely  due  to  the  absence 
of  some  simple  guide  to  the  subject,  this  little 
book  has  been  written  to  assist  those  who  wish 
to  pursue  this  interesting  study. 


INTRODUCTION  3 

1.  The  author  begins  with  one  well-known 
constellation,  URSA  MAJOR,  part  of  which  is 
popularly   known   as   Charles's   Wain,   or  The 
Plough ;    and   from   that    leads    on    to   all  the 
others,  one  at  a  time. 

2.  Selecting  four  prominent  constellations, 
which  never  set  in  latitudes  north  of  50°  N., 
he  uses  these,   situated  over  four  quarters  of 
the  heavens,  as  guides  to  the  others.     This  in- 
troduces  order,    and   order    makes   everything 
easy. 

3.  He  observes  the  appearance  which  each 
constellation  presents  in  the  sky,  and  uses  this 
as  the  key.     When  this  is  done,  the  pupil  finds 
no  difficulty  in  recognizing  in  the  heavens  what 
he  has  seen  on  the  paper. 

4.  By  representing  only  one  constellation  in 
each  diagram,  he  is  able  to  present  it  on  a  large 
scale,  and  without  appreciable  distortion,  which 
could  not  be  done   if  a  large  portion   of  the 
heavens    were    mapped    on    the    same    sheet. 
Further,  by  concentrating  attention  upon  one 
constellation,  without  disturbing  the  eye  with 
more,  the  impression  becomes  more  easy  and 
more  distinct. 


4  INTRODUCTION 

5.  Instead  of  confusing  the  eye  by  making 
large  figures  of  stars,  with  black  rays  coming 
from  a  white  centre,  a  small  white  star  gives 
greater  brilliancy  and  more  distinctness. 

6.  The  stars  are  unencumbered  with  names, 
or   with    those    imaginary    figures    of   men   or 
beasts,  which  give  names  to  the  constellations, 
but  which  are  apt  to  bury  the  constellations 
themselves  from  our  sight.     These  figures  are 
necessary,  but  they  are  confined  to  the  maps 
at  the  end  of  the  work,  where  both  the  names 
and  figures  are  given. 

THE  ATLAS 

The  maps  of  the  Atlas  at  the  end  of  the 
book  are  constructed  on  the  following  plan: 
The  first  four  contain  the  stars  of  the  equa- 
torial regions,  divided  into  four  quarters,  each 
headed  by  the  constellation  or  star  which  dis- 
tinguishes it.  The  dates  at  the  bottom  of  each 
map  are  those  on  which  the  portion  of  the  sky 
represented  above  is  due  south  at  9  P.M. 

The  stars  round  the  South  Pole,  never  visible 
north  of  latitude  40°  N.,  are  given  on  the  last 


INTRODUCTION  5 

page,  while  those  round   the  North   Pole  are 
given  in  Map  29. 

By  means  of  these  advantages,  the  author 
indulges  a  fond  hope  that  he  will  make  this 
fascinating  study  level  with  the  capacity  even 
of  children,  and  thus  provide  teachers  with  a 
new  recreative  study  for  their  pupils,  which 
will  not  only  interest,  but  refine,  and  enlarge, 
and  elevate  their  minds. 

MOTIONS  OF  THE  STARS 

1.  The  whole  heavens  appear  to  turn  round 
the  earth  every  day.     The  motion  of  the  Sun 
is  sufficiently  evident,  but  the  stars  being  scat- 
tered over  the  sky,  unless  we  distinguish  par- 
ticular constellations,  their  motion   is  not   so 
observable ;  yet  they  move  in  the  same  direc- 
tion, and  with  almost  the  same  velocity.     This 
is  caused,  not  by  the  heavens  moving,  but  by 
the  earth  turning  round  on  its  own  axis. 

2.  If  we  look  toward  the  south,  and  observe 
the  motion  of  the  stars,  we  will  find  that  they 
all  appear  to   rise   from  the  east,  on  the  left 
hand,  and  after  passing  in  our  front — reaching 


6  INTRODUCTION 

their  greatest  height  above  the  horizon  when 
due  south — go  down  again  in  the  west,  like  the 
Sun,  towards  our  right. 

3.  If  we  look  towards  the  north,  we  will  find 
that  there  is  a  point  in  the  heavens  high  up,  and 
directly  north,  round  which  all  the  stars  appear 
to  move  in  circles  which  get  larger  and  larger 
the  farther  they  are  away  from  it;  and  there 
is  a  bright  star  very  near  that  point,  called  on 
that  account  the  Pole  Star,  which  is  pointed 
out  on  page  14. 

4.  If  we  turn  our  faces  towards  the  south, 
and  lean  back  against  some  support,  half  lying 
and  half  standing,  our  heads  would  nearly  point 
to  the  Pole  Star,  and  the  heavens  would  appear 
to  revolve  round  our  body  as  if   it  were  the 
axle.     This  will  enable  us  to  understand  how 
the  motion  of  the  stars  is  the  same  as  that  of 
the  Sun,  when  it  rises  in  the  east,  and,  passing 
along  the  southern  heavens,  sets  in  the  west. 

5.  The  stars  near  the  Pole  Star  are  so  high 
up  in  the  heavens,  and  have  so  little  motion, 
that   they   never  set.     All   the   constellations, 
therefore,   for  a  considerable   distance  around 
the  Pole  Star  may  be  seen  in  a  clear  evening 


«»  rv  i  v  •-  ™  • 

OF 


INTRODUCTION  / 

at  any  time,  and  by  them  we  most  easily  find 
the  others. 

6.  There  are  four  constellations  in  the  north 
which   it   is   very   desirable   to   know,   because 
they   mark   out  four  different  quarters  of  the 
heavens,  and  are  themselves  very  conspicuous. 
These  are  URSA  MAJOR,  AURIGA,  CASSIOPEIA, 
and  LYRA.     Of  these  four,  URSA  MAJOR  and 
CASSIOPEIA  are  opposite  each  other.     AURIGA 
lies  between  them  on  one  side,  and  LYRA  lies 
between  them   on  the   other.     These  will  be 
pointed  out  in  the  first  lessons,  though  not  by 
the  same  names. 

7.  All  the  stars  move  completely  round  the 
heavens   once,    and   a   little   more,   every  day. 
This  little  more  is  the  i -365th  part  of  a  whole 
revolution;    so   that   after   365    days  they  are 
nearly  in  the  same   place  where  they  were  a 
year  before,  having  made  366  revolutions. 

8.  If  we  go  out,  say,  at  9  o'clock  to-night, 
and  observe  the  position  of  the  stars,  to-mor- 
row at  9  P.M.  they  will  not  be  exactly  in  the 
same  place — they  will  have  moved  on  a  little 
farther  towards  the  west,  and  to  see  them  in 
the  same  place,  we  must   go   out  4  minutes 


8  INTRODUCTION' 

before  9.  In  this  manner  we  find  that  4  min- 
utes of  the  day  produces  about  the  same  change 
as  one  day  produces  in  the  revolution  of  the 
year,  because  4  minutes  X  365  is  1460  minutes, 
which  is  very  little  over  24  hours.  In  like 
manner,  a  week  of  the  year  produces  nearly 
the  same  change  as  half  an  hour  of  the  day. 
Three  months  are  equal  to  6  hours,  and  6 
months  to  12  hours. 

9.  For  this  reason,  those  who  are  very  anx- 
ious to  see  stars  that  will  be  visible  in  the 
evenings  several  months  later,  may  do  so  by 
rising  very  early  in  the  morning,  some  time 
before  sunrise ;  they  will  then  be  seen  high  up 
in  the  heavens. 

THE  SIGNS  OF  THE  ZODIAC 

The  twelve  signs  of  the  Zodiac  may  be  ex- 
plained as  the  constellations  through  which  the 
Sun  passes  every  year.  They  are  as  follows: 

i.  ARIES;  2.  TAURUS;  3.  GEMINI;  4. 
CANCER;  5.  LEO;  6.  VIRGO;  7.  LIBRA;  8. 
SCORPIO;  9.  SAGITTARIUS;  10.  CAPRICORNUS-, 
11.  AQUARIUS;  12.  PISCES;  the  following 
rhyme  embodies  them : 


INTRODUCTION  9 

The  RAM,  the  BULL,  the  Heavenly  TWINS, 
And  next  the  CRAB  the  LION  shines; 

The  VIRGIN  and  the  SCALES, 
The  SCORPION,  ARCHER,  and  the  GOAT, 
The  MAN  THAT  POURS  THE  WATER  OUT, 

And  FISH  with  glittering  tails. 

THE  CONSTELLATION  FIGURES 

The  constellation  names  and  figures  have 
been  handed  down  from  the  remotest  antiquity, 
but  few  of  them  bear  the  slightest  resemblance 
to  the  figures  of  men  or  beasts  after  which  they 
are  named.  Of  the  many  theories  that  have 
been  formed  as  to  their  origin  and  meaning, 
the  most  interesting,  perhaps,  is  that  which 
connects  the  twelve  signs  of  the  Zodiac — sup- 
posed to  be  the  oldest  of  all — with  a  primeval 
attempt  to  perpetuate  the  story  of  the  Fall  of 
Man,  and  the  coming  Deliverer.  SCORPIO,  for 
instance,  whose  sting  is  represented  as  wound- 
ing the  heel  of  Ophiuchus,  who  has  his  foot  on 
its  head,  would  commemorate  the  prophecy  in 
Genesis:  "It  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou 
shalt  bruise  his  heel." 

Other  theories  would  connect  the  signs  of 


IO  INTRODUCTION 

the  Zodiac  with  the  ancient  seasons  of  the 
year,  LIBRA,  the  Balances,  for  instance,  as 
heralding  the  springtime,  when  day  and  night 
were  equally  balanced.  Others  again  see  in  it 
the  period  when  the  year's  account  of  gain  or 
loss  after  harvest  was  made  up.  AQUARIUS 
has  been  connected  with  Egypt  as,  perhaps, 
having  marked  the  season  when  the  Nile  began 
to  rise.  The  constellation  figures  are  shown  in 
the  Atlas. 

Besides  the  names  of  the  constellations,  or 
groups  of  stars,  some  of  the  brighter  stars  have 
names  of  their  own,  such  as  Sirius,  Vega,  etc., 
which  have  also  been  handed  down  to  us.  But, 
as  many  fairly  bright  stars  had  no  names,  about 
three  hundred  years  ago,  for  convenience  of 
identification,  the  brightest  stars  of  each  con- 
stellation had  letters  of  the  Greek  alphabet  as- 
signed to  them,  or,  /?,  y,  etc.  Thus  Vega,  in 
the  constellation  of  LYRA,  is  also  known  as  a 


In  this  book  names  printed  in  italics,  as 
Sirius,  are  always  the  names  of  single  stars  ; 
while  those  in  small  capitals,  as  AURIGA,  are  the 
names  of  constellations^  that  is,  groups  of  stars. 


INTRODUCTION  II 

The  brightest  stars  are  called  "ist  magni- 
tude," those  not  so  bright,  4<2d  magnitude," 
those  still  less  bright,  "  3d  magnitude,"  and  so 
on, the  6th  being  the  faintest  visible  to  the  naked 
eye.  Each  magnitude  is  slightly  less  than  half 
as  bright  as  the  one  above  it,  the  ratios  being 
as  follows:  1st,  I;  2d,  .4;  3d,  1.15;  4th,  .06; 
5th,  .03;  6th,  .01. 

The  Milky  Way  is  an  interesting  study  on 
any  clear,  moonless  night.  It  forms  a  com- 
plete circle  round  the  heavens,  and  may  be 
traced  through  SCORPIO,  AQUILA,  CYGNUS, 
CASSIOPEIA,  PERSEUS,  ORION,  and  CANIS 
MAJOR.  It  is  composed  of  myriads  of  minute 
stars,  too  small  to  be  distinguished  without  a 
powerful  telescope. 

Sometimes  a  bright  star  appears  slowly  to 
wander  among  the  constellations  of  the  Zodiac, 
or  those  adjoining  them,  without  belonging  to 
them.  The  strange  star  must  be  one  of  the 
planets.  If  very  bright,  it  is  either  Venus  or 
Jupiter.  If  it  be  in  the  south,  it  is  Jupiter, 
for  Venus  is  seen  only  in  the  east  or  west,  be- 
ing near  the  Sun.  If  it  be  a  pale  star,  it  is 
Saturn ;  if  ruddy  in  its  appearance,  it  is  Mars. 


12  INTRODUCTION 

Saturn  and  Mars  are  about  as  bright  as  the 
brightest  fixed  stars,  but  Jupiter  and  Venus 
are  considerably  brighter. 

Another  distinction  between  the  planets  and 
the  fixed  stars  will  be  found  in  the  planets 
giving  a  steady  light,  while  the  fixed  stars 
twinkle. 

Sometimes  Comets  appear,  and  may  visit  any 
part  of  the  heavens.  They  are  rather  large  in 
size,  but  not  bright.  They  do  not  twinkle  like 
the  fixed  stars,  and  generally  have  long  tails. 


THE  MAPS 

The  following  24  diagrams  represent  the  con- 
stellations, or  parts  of  constellations,  visible  in 
northern  latitudes,  as  they  appear  when  directly 
north  or  south.  When  they  are  rising  in  the 
east,  their  position  will  be  represented  in  the 
book  by  tilting  up  the  right  side ;  when  they 
are  setting  in  the  west,  by  tilting  up  the 
left  side  (that  is,  the  side  of  the  book  to  our 
left). 

For  the  sake  of  simplicity,  only  the  most 
conspicuous  stars  of  each  constellation  are 
given  in  the  diagrams,  or  only  those  that  are 
necessary  to  form  the  imaginary  figures  by 
which  their  positions  are  taught.  For  the 
others,  see  Maps  25-30. 


13 


I.  THE  PLOUGH  (Charles  s  Wain) 

The  constellation  which  is  best  known  in  this 
country  is  called  by  astronomers  URSA  MAJOR. 
Its  chief  stars  suggest  the  form  of  a  plough, 
which  is  the  name  popularly  given  to  it.  In 
the  United  States  it  is  more  commonly  known 
as  the  DIPPER. 

The  PLOUGH  is  represented  on  the  opposite 
page.  The  two  foremost  stars  (called  the 
Pointers)  always  point  to  the  Pole  Star,  which 
is  scarcely  observed  to  move,  and  round  which 
all  the  constellations  turn,  a  very  little  more 
than  once  every  day ;  see  page  9. 

In  Britain,  and  countries  north  of  40°  North 
Latitude  (Southern  Europe,  Canada,  and 
United  States),  the  PLOUGH  never  sets,  being 
too  high  up  ever  to  reach  the  horizon.  On 
autumn  evenings  it  is  low  down  in  the  north, 
directly  under  the  Pole  Star,  as  shown  in  the 
opposite  diagram.  On  winter  evenings  it  is  in 
the  northeast,  with  the  handle  turned  down. 
In  spring  it  is  nearly  over  our  heads;  and 
in  summer  it  is  in  the  northwest,  with  the 
handle  turned  up.  In  some  places  CHARLES'S 
WAIN  is  the  name  given  to  it. 

The  PLOUGH  is  part  of  a  constellation  called 
the  GREAT  BEAR,  which  is  represented  in  Map  4. 
14 


MAP  1, 


15 


2.  CASSIOPEIA 

This  beautiful  constellation  appears  in  the 
heavens  shaped  like  a  W — one  half  being  more 
flattened  than  the  other.  Its  place  is  easily 
found  when  we  know  the  Pole  Star  and  the 
PLOUGH. 

The  Pole  Star  is  about  half  way  between  the 
PLOUGH  and  CASSIOPEIA.  That  is  to  say, 
CASSIOPEIA  is  on  the  other  side  of  the  Pole 
Star,  nearly  opposite,  so  that  they,  as  it  were, 
balance  each  other.  If  the  PLOUGH  be  low 
down  in  the  north,  CASSIOPEIA  is  over  -our 
heads;  and  if  the  PLOUGH  be  over  our  heads, 
CASSIOPEIA  is  in  the  north.  In  short,  wherever 
we  see  the  one,  the  other  is  directly  opposite, 
as  shown  in  Map  No.  3. 

'  Cassiopeia  was  the  wife  of  Cepheus,  King  of 
Ethiopia,  and  mother  of  Andromeda,  the 
maiden  who  was  rescued  from  the  sea-monster 
by  Perseus,  as  narrated  on  page  32. 

f  CEPHEUS 

The  two  right-hand  stars  of  CASSIOPEIA 
point  up  to  two  stars  close  together,  which 
form  part  of  the  constellation  of  CEPHEUS, 
who  was  the  husband  of  Cassiopeia.  Other 
stars  belonging  to  this  constellation  are  shown 
in  the  diagram. 

16 


MAP  2. 


17 


3.  CAPELLA  AND  VEGA 

When  the  PLOUGH  and  CASSIOPEIA  are 
known,  we  have  two  valuable  guides,  one  on 
each  side  of  the  heavens.  But  there  is  a  large 
space  on  each  side,  which  is  distinguished  re- 
spectively by  two  very  bright  stars,  Capella  and 
Vega,  nearly  midway  between  the  PLOUGH  and 
CASSIOPEIA,  one  on  each  side. 

Capella  is  in  the  vacancy  toward  which  the 
PLOUGH  appears  to  be  going,  and  is  distin- 
guished from  Vega  by  having  another  bright 
star  near  it. 

Vega  is  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  heavens, 
in  the  constellation  LYRA,  a  solitary  star  of 
remarkable  brilliancy.  It  is  in  the  vacancy 
from  which  the  PLOUGH  appears  to  be  going. 

Capella  belongs  to  the  constellation  AURIGA, 
the  Charioteer,  and  Vega  to  the  constellation 
LYRA,  the  Lyre. 

These  four  constellations  —  the  PLOUGH, 
CASSIOPEIA,  AURIGA,  and  LYRA — occupy,  as 
it  were,  the  upper  portions  of  the  four  quarters 
of  the  heavens,  and  by  these  we  may  find  the 
place  of  all  the  others. 


18 


19 


Of   THE 

IIMtVEBSITY 


4.          URSA  MAJOR  (The  Great  Bear) 

The  PLOUGH  is  only  part  of  a  constellation 
called  URSA  MAJOR,  the  Great  Bear.  It  forms 
the  loins  and  tail  of  the  Great  Bear;  the  rest  of 
the  body  is  composed  of  little  stars.  The 
head  is  represented  by  one  bright  star,  forming 
the  snout,  behind  which  two  diverging  lines  of 
little  stars  show  the  outline  of  the  head  and 
throat.  The  fore-feet  have  each  two  little  stars 
at  the  toes,  as  also  the  hind-legs,  both  of  which 
are  very  long. 

URSA  MINOR  (The  Little  Bear) 

A  line  drawn  through  the  two  stars  of  the 
PLOUGH  which  are  parallel  with  the  Pointers 
passes  between  two  of  the  brightest  stars  be- 
longing to  URSA  MINOR,  the  Little  Bear,  a 
constellation  which  is  close  to  the  Pole;  indeed 
the  Pole  Star  itself  forms  the  tip  of  the  tail. 

Between  these  two  stars  and  the  Pole  Star  is 
a  line  of  fainter  stars,  somewhat  in  the  shape 
of  the  PLOUGH. 


MAP  4. 


5.  DRACO  (The  Dragon) 

The  constellation  of  DRACO,  the  Dragon,  is 
a  beautiful  line  of  stars  sweeping  gracefully 
round  between  the  PLOUGH  and  URSA  MINOR. 

This  line  begins  not  far  from  the  line  that 
joins  the  Pole  Star  with  the  Pointers,  and 
runs  nearly  parallel  with  the  PLOUGH,  till, 
when  nearly  opposite  the  end  of  the  handle,  it 
turns  round  and  bends  towards  CASSIOPEIA. 
Then,  after  twice  turning,  it  terminates  in  two 
stars — not  far  from  Vega — which  represent  the 
head  of  the  Dragon.  A  third  star,  which  seems 
to  form  the  snout  of  the  Dragon,  belongs  to 
the  constellation  of  HERCULES;  see  Map  19. 

In  some  positions,  the  body  of  the  Dragon 
has  the  appearance  of  a  great  necklace  hanging 
round  the  Little  Bear  (Map  4). 


MAP  5. 


6.  AURIGA  (The  Charioteer] 

Capella  is  the  brightest  star  of  the  constella- 
tion of  AURIGA,  which  contains  three  other 
bright  stars,  as  shown  in  the  opposite  diagram. 

PERSEUS 

Curving  round  from  Capella  towards  CAS- 
SIOPEIA is  a  bright  streak  of  stars  which  form 
part  of  the  constellation  of  PERSEUS. 

Two  bright  stars  will  be  seen  a  short  distance 
below  the  middle  of  this  streak,  and  the  top- 
most of  these,  called  Algol,  is  remarkable  for 
its  great  decrease  in  brightness — from  the  2d 
to  the  4th  magnitude — for  a  short  period,  every 
69  hours. 

Other  fainter  stars  stretch  in  an  indistinct 
curve  until  it  reaches  the  bright  little  cluster 
called  the  Pleiades,  in  TAURUS  (see  Map  12). 

Perseus  is  fabled  to  have  been  a  son  of 
Jupiter.  His  mother's  father  feared  him,  and 
tried  to  make  away  with  him  by  sending  him 
to  slay  the  Gorgon  Medusa,  to  look  at  whom 
was  to  be  turned  into  stone.  Perseus  avoided 
this  fate  by  looking  at  her  through  a  mirror, 
and  returned  in  triumph  with  her  head.  After- 
wards he  slew  the  monster  which  was  about  to 
devour  Andromeda  (see  page  32). 
24 


MAP  6. 


36 


7.  CvGNUS  (The  Swan) 

Close  to  Vega,  on  the  left,  there  is  a  very 
pretty  constellation,  the  upper  part  of  which  is 
shaped  like  the  half  of  a  wheel. 

Four  of  the  brightest  stars — forming  an  in- 
verted T — together  with  a  long,  irregular  line 
of  fainter  stars,  which  ends  in  a  bright  one 
almost  under  Vega,  form  a  large  cross,  which 
lies  diagonally  in  the  sky. 

The  bright  star  in  the  middle  of  the  cross 
has  a  half-circle  of  fainter  stars  round  it,  which 
in  some  positions  presents  the  appearance  of 
the  upper  part  of  an  arched  window. 

At  the  left  side  of  the  semicircle  is  another 
star,  which  commences  another,  but  less  regu- 
lar, semicircle  of  faint  stars,  having  for  its 
centre  the  star  forming  the  left-hand  arm  of 
the  cross,  and  for  its  right  extremity,  the 
middle  star  of  the  cross. 

The  Milky  Way  is  very  bright  in  this  part 
of  the  sky,  and  breaks  up  into  two  streams  or 
branches,  with  occasional  bands  connecting 
them. 

CVGNUS  is  visible  from  May  to  December. 


26 


8.  AQUILA  (The  Eagle) 

We  now  come  to  constellations  which  are 
not  always  to  be  seen,  and  we  shall  suppose 
that  we  begin  about  the  month  of  October. 
CASSIOPEIA  is  high  up  in  the  heavens,  nearly 
over  our  heads,  while  the  PLOUGH  is  far  down 
in  the  north. 

Some  distance  below  Vega,  and  somewhat  to 
the  left,  are  three  stars  close  together,  forming 
a  straight  line  which  points  up  to  Vega,  The 
middle  star  is  the  brightest,  and  is  called  A  It  air. 
These  stars  belong  to  the  constellation  of 
AQUILA,  the  Eagle,  which  is  represented  on 
the  opposite  page.  It  is  very  useful  for  find- 
ing other  constellations  in  the  autumn,  as  it  is 
prominent  in  the  southern  sky  from  July  to 
November. 

To  the  left  of  AQUILA,  a  faint  cluster  of 
stars  will  be  noticed ;  these  form  the  constella- 
tion of  DELPHINUS,  the  Dolphin. 

f  CAPRICORNUS  (The  Sea-Goaf) 

Altair  and  his  two  companions  point  down- 
wards to  the  two  stars  shown  at  the  foot  of  the 
map,  which  belong  to  the  zodiacal  constellation 
of  CAPRICORNUS  (see  Map  24). 


MAP 


9.  PEGASUS  ( The  Flying  Horse] 

If  the  line  joining  the  Pole  Star  with  the 
right-hand  star  of  CASSIOPEIA  is  prolonged 
downwards  for  a  little  more  than  its  own  length, 
it  passes  through  two  stars  which  form  the  left- 
hand  top  and  bottom  corners  of  a  great  square. 

From  the  two  right-hand  stars  of  this  square 
two  lines  of  stars  shoot  out  to  the  right,  the 
upper  line  shooting  upwards  from  the  upper- 
most star,  and  the  lower  line  downwards  from 
the  lower  star.  These  form  the  constellation 
of  PEGASUS.  The  top  left-hand  corner  of  the 
square  does  not  belong  to  PEGASUS,  but  to 
ANDROMEDA  (Map  10). 

PEGASUS,  the  Flying  Horse,  is  seen  upside 
down  in  our  latitudes.  The  higher  line  is  the 
fore-leg,  the  lower  line  is  the  neck.  A  star 
at  the  nostril  forms  an  angle  with  the  neck,  and 
the  little  stars  under  the  upper  line  represent 
the  other  fore-leg. 

Pegasus  appeared  from  the  body  of  the  Me- 
dusa when  her  head  was  struck  off  by  Perseus 
(see  page  24).  He  rose  up  to  heaven,  and  was 
employed  to  carry  thunder  and  lightning  for  Ju- 
piter. Bellerophon  tried  to  ride  up  to  heaven  on 
his  back,  but  Pegasus  threw  him  off  in  mid-air. 

30 


MAP  9. 


31 


(O.  ANDROMEDA 

The  two  right-hand  stars  of  CASSIOPEIA 
point  downwards  to  a  bright  star,  which  is  the 
first  of  a  straight  line  of  three  equidistant  bright 
stars,  which  bear  away  to  the  right  towards 
PEGASUS.  These  form  the  constellation  of 
ANDROMEDA. 

The  third  star  is  one  of  the  corners  of  the 
"Great  Square  of  Pegasus"  (see  Map  9). 

Andromeda  was  the  daughter  of  Cepheus, 
King  of  Ethiopia.  Her  mother,  Cassiopeia, 
boasted  that  her  daughter  was  more  beautiful 
than  the  Nereids,  or  Nymphs  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  to  punish  her  pride  Neptune  sent 
a  sea  monster  to  devastate  the  country.  As 
the  only  way  to  appease  the  angry  god,  Andro- 
meda was  chained  to  a  rock,  and  left  for  the 
monster  to  devour,  but  Perseus  came  on  the 
scene,  and,  having  slain  the  monster,  obtained 
Andromeda  for  his  wife. 

ARIES  (The  Ram) 

Some  distance  below  ANDROMEDA  are  three 
stars  in  a  crooked  line  resembling  the  hind-leg 
of  a  ram ;  the  two  highest  are  the  brightest. 
This  is  the  most  conspicuous  portion  of  the 
RAM,  which  is  the  first  of  the  signs  of  the 
Zodiac.  It  is  seen  from  October  to  February. 

32 


MAP  10. 


83 


II.  PISCES  ( The  Fishes] 

Directly  under  ARIES  and  PEGASUS  is  an 
irregular  line  of  small  stars,  stretching  horizon- 
tally. This  is  the  constellation  of  PISCES,  the 
Fishes,  which  is  the  last  of  the  signs  of  the 
Zodiac.  A  second  and  less  distinct  line  of  stars 
strikes  off  from  the  first,  at  an  acute  angle,  in 
the  direction  of  ANDROMEDA. 

CETUS  (The  Whale) 

Close  below  PISCES,  but  more  to  the  left,  is 
the  bright  constellation  CETUS,  the  Whale,  or 
Sea  Monster.  It  is  shaped  like  a  chair,  with 
the  back  falling  backwards. 

It  is  composed  chiefly  of  nine  bright  stars  in 
two  curved  lines,  one  long,  the  other  short. 

Mira,  the  third  star  from  the  top,  is  remark- 
able from  its  being  variable  in  brightness — 
being  sometimes  as  bright  as  Castor,  in  GEMINI 
(see  Map  13),  and  at  other  times  quite  invisible 
to  the  naked  eye.  These  changes  take  place 
in  a  period  of  about  332  days. 

CETUS  is  visible  from  October  to  February. 


34 


MAP  If. 


35 


12.  TAURUS  (The  Bull} 

The  Pleiades  have  already  been  pointed  out 
(Map  6).  They  belong  to  the  constellation  of 
the  BULL,  the  second  of  the  signs  of  the  Zodiac, 
which  lies  directly  underneath  AURIGA. 

In  this  constellation  there  are  two  very  bright 
stars.  The  brightest,  a  reddish  star  called 
Aldebaran,  is  the  Bull's  eye,  and  is  low  down 
among  a  V-shaped  cluster  of  little  stars  called 
the  Hyades;  the  other,  pointing  from  it  to- 
wards AURIGA  (Map  6),  is  the  Bull's  upper 
horn,  and  has  another  bright  star  below  it,  the 
tip  of  the  other  horn. 

The  Pleiades  were  seven  daughters  of  Atlas, 
whom  the  gods  placed  among  the  stars  near 
their  sisters,  the  Hyades.  At  first  all  seven 
were  visible  to  men,  but  one  faded  away  with 
grief,  and  only  six  of  the  sisters  were  after- 
wards seen. 

Six  only  of  the  stars  in  the  Pleiades  can  be 
made  out  by  the  naked  eye ;  it  is  not  unlikely 
that  the  seventh,  which  can  easily  be  distin- 
guished with  the  aid  of  an  opera-glass,  may 
once  have  been  brighter,  as  indicated  in  the 
above  legend. 

It  has  been  ascertained  that  our  Sun,  with 
all  the  planets,  is  revolving  round  a  great  cen- 
tre, somewhere  in  the  direction  of  the  Pleiades 
(see  page  54). 


MAP  12. 


37 


(3.  GEMINI  (The  Twins] 

A  line  drawn  from  Aldebaran  between  the 
horns  of  the  Bull  leads  to  two  bright  stars  be- 
longing to  the  constellation  of  GEMINI.  The 
upper  one  is  called  Castor,  and  the  lower  one, 
the  brighter  of  the  two,  is  called  Pollux. 

The  other  stars  belonging  to  GEMINI  form 
three  lines  parallel  to  Castor  and  Pollux,  and 
stretch  away  to  the  right,  in  the  direction  of 
ORION. 

GEMINI  is  the  third  sign  of  the  Zodiac,  and 
is  seen  from  December  to  May. 

Castor  and  Pollux  were  the  two  youths 
who,  at  the  battle  of  Lake  Regillus,  suddenly 
appeared  on  milk-white  horses  to  aid  the  hard- 
pressed  Romans.  After  the  battle  they  dis- 
appeared, and  not  till  then  did  the  Romans 
realize  that  it  was  the  "  Heavenly  Twins" 
themselves  who  had  helped  them. 

CANIS  MINOR  (The  Little  Dog) 

A  line  leading  from  the  Pole  Star,  through 
Castor  and  Pollux,  brings  us,  a  little  lower 
down,  to  a  bright  star,  Procyon,  in  CANIS 
MINOR.  Procyon  and  its  companion  star  very 
much  resemble  Castor  and  Pollux,  but  the  lat- 
ter do  not  differ  so  much  in  brightness. 


MAP  13. 


39 


(4.  ORION 

Aline  passing  from  the  Pole  Star  through 
Capella  (Map  3)  leads  us  down  to  ORION — Ca~ 
pella  being  half-way — one  of  the  most  splendid 
constellations  in  the  heavens.  The  BULL  and 
the  TWINS  are  immediately  above  it,  one  on 
each  side. 

The  four  bright  stars  at  the  four  corners  are 
the  shoulders  and  limbs  of  the  hunter.  The 
three  little  stars  above  the  shoulders  are  the 
head.  The  three  bright  stars  in  a  diagonal  line 
in  the  centre  are  the  girdle,  and  the  stripe  of 
stars  hanging  down  from  that  are  the  sword. 

The  star  forming  ORION'S  left  shoulder  is 
called  Betelgeux,  and  that  forming  the  left  foot, 
Rigel. 

Orion  was  a  giant  hunter,  whom  some  have 
identified  with  Nimrod.  He  was  slain,  either 
by  accident  or  in  jealousy,  by  an  arrow  shot 
by  Artemis,  or  Diana,  but  after  his  death 
Jupiter  placed  him  among  the  stars. 

ORION  is  seen  from  December  to  end  of 
March. 

f  LEPUS  (The  Hare] 

Directly  below  ORION  a  graceful  curve  of 
faint  stars,  with  two  others  on  the  right,  forms 
a  figure  which  resembles  CETUS.  These  be- 
long to  the  constellation  of  LEPUS,  the  Hare. 

40 


MAP  14. 


41 


(5.        CANIS  MAJOR  (The  Great  Dog) 

A  line  drawn  downwards  through  ORION'S 
girdle  brings  us  to  the  brightest  fixed  star  in 
the  heavens,  Sirius,  the  " blazing  Dog-star." 

Beside  Sirius  there  is  another  bright  star  to 
the  right,  and  below  these  two  are  a  number 
of  other  stars,  some  of  which  sweep  round  in  a 
curve  to  the  right ;  these,  however,  being  rather 
near  the  horizon,  are  not  well  seen  in  the  lati- 
tude of  Britain. 

The  GREAT  DOG,  together  with  the  LESSER 
DOG,  which  lies  just  above,  were  placed  among 
the  stars  to  attend  on  their  master  ORION,  in 
his  hunting  of  the  GREAT  BEAR. 

Sirius  is  seen  from  January  to  March. 


MAP  15. 


43 


J6.  1^,0  (The  Lion) 

The  winter  season,  or  rather  the  spring,  be- 
ing supposed  to  be  now  far  advanced,  and  the 
PLOUGH  having  travelled  to  the  east,  we  must 
now  take  it  for  our  guide. 

A  straight  line  from  the  Pole  Star  passing 
through  the  Pointers  in  the  PLOUGH  (Map  i) 
will  bring  us  to  the  constellation  of  LEO,  the 
Lion. 

The  front  of  the  LlON  is  shaped  like  a  reap- 
ing-hook, the  brightest  star  of  which  is  called 
Regulus.  Behind  that,  two  stars,  one  above 
the  other,  represent  the  loins,  and  one  star  be- 
hind them,  called  Dencbola,  represents  the  tail. 

The  hind-paws  of  the  GREAT  BEAR  (Map  4) 
come  down  near  the  back  of  the  LION. 

LEO  is  the  fifth  sign  of  the  Zodiac,  and  is 
best  seen  from  February  to  the  end  of  June. 

In  the  centre  of  the  "  reaping-hook  "  is  the 
point  from  which  the  meteor  showers  in  the 
middle  of  November  appear  to  radiate. 


44 


MAP  16. 


45 


17.  t  CANCER  ( The  Crab] 

Half-way  between  Procyon  and  Regulus,  and 
just  above  the  line  joining  these  two  stars,  a 
triangle  of  faint  stars  will  be  seen.  These  form 
part  of  the  constellation  of  CANCKR,  the  Crab, 
the  fourth  sign  of  the  Zodiac.  Another  star 
belonging  to  this  constellation  is  shown  at  the 
top  of  the  map. 

f  HYDRA  (TJie  Water-Snake] 

Below  CANCER,  and  in  line  with  the  two 
brightest  stars  of  the  "reaping-hook  "  in  LEO, 
is  the  bright  star  Alphard,  the  brightest  star  in 
HYDRA,  the  Water-Snake. 

The  head  and  neck  of  the  Snake  are  formed 
by  a  graceful  curve  of  small  stars,  ending  just 
under  CANCER,  while  the  tail  trails  along  below 
LEO  and  CORVUS,  ending  at  last  near  LIBRA 
(see  Map  22).  Alpkard  is  sometimes  called 
Cor  Hydrcz,  "The  heart  of  Hydra." 

These  two  constellations  are  visible  from 
February  to  June. 


46 


MAP  J7. 


47 


(8.  VIRGO  (The  Virgin) 

Behind  the  LION  (Map  16)  is  the  constella- 
tion called  the  VIRGIN,  the  principal  stars  of 
which  have  the  appearance  of  the  letter  Y. 
The  part  next  the  LlON  is  composed  of  six 
stars,  which  appear  like  a  basin.  A  little  dis- 
tant, and  farther  down,  is  a  very  bright  star 
called  Spica  ("an  ear  of  corn  "). 

VlRGO  is  the  sixth  sign  of  the  Zodiac,  and  is 
best  seen  from  April  to  July. 

fCORVUS  (The  Crow] 

Directly  below  VlRGO,  on  a  clear  night,  four 
stars  will  be  seen  rather  low  down  near  the 
horizon,  forming  a  rough  square.  They  belong 
to  the  constellation  of  CORVUS,  the  Crow. 


MAP  18. 


J 9.  BOOTES  (  The  Herdsman) 

The  tail  of  the  GREAT  BEAR  (or  we  may  call 
it  the  handle  of  the  PLOUGH)  points  to  a  mag- 
nificent triangle  of  stars,  with  one  star  near  the 
centre. 

Of  the  three  stars  that  make  the  triangle,  the 
brightest  is  the  lowest  on  the  right  hand.  This 
brilliant  star  is  called  Arcturus,  which,  with 
the  upper  and  centre  stars  of  the  triangle,  and 
other  smaller  stars,  form  the  constellation 
BOOTES. 

The  little  star  to  the  left  of  the  top  star  of 
the  triangle  is  the  head  of  BOOTES,  and  to  the 
right  of  it,  three  stars,  in  a  straight  line,  form 
his  staff.  His  left  arm,  raised  high  above  his 
head,  ends  in  three  little  stars  close  to  the 
PLOUGH,  while  the  small  stars  on  each  side  of 
Arcturus  are  his  right  foot  and  left  knee. 

CORONA  BOREALIS 

The  third  star  of  the  triangle  on  the  left  be- 
longs to  the  constellation  called  the  NORTHERN 
CROWN  (CORONA  BOREALIS),  and  in  a  clear 
evening  it  will  be  found  to  be  the  centre  of  a 
beautiful  semicircle  of  faint  stars  which  form 
the  Crown. 

BOOTES  is  seen  from  April  to  September. 

50 


MAP  19. 


51 


2O.  t  SERPENS  (The  Serpent} 

A  short  distance  below  the  CROWN  a  little 
triangle  of  stars  will  be  seen,  from  which  a  long 
line  of  stars  curves  downwards  in  a  rough  semi- 
circle in  the  direction  of  Altair. 

The  triangle  forms  the  head  of  SERPENS,  the 
Serpent,  and  the  first  few  stars  below  it,  and 
two  near  the  EAGLE,  form  its  body  and  tail. 
The  intermediate  stars  belong  to  another  con- 
stellation, OPHIUCHUS,  but  probably  they  orig- 
inally represented  the  body  of  the  SERPENT. 

f  OPHIUCHUS  (The  Serpent  Bearer) 

Half-way  between  the  CROWN  and  Altair, 
two  fairly  bright  stars  will  be  seen  close  to- 
gether. The  brighter  of  the  two  —that  to  the 
left— is  the  head  of  OPHIUCHUS,  the  Serpent 
Bearer,  a  man  who  is  represented  as  grappling 
with  the  SERPENT.  His  right  foot  is  planted 
on  the  head  of  the  SCORPION  (Map  22),  while 
his  left  heel  is  close  to  the  SCORPION'S  tail. 

The  other  stars  of  OPHIUCHUS  are  rather 
faint,  forming  a  rough  circle,  as  shown  in  the 
opposite  diagram. 

OPHIUCHUS  and  SERPENS  are  seen  from  May 
to  September. 

52 


MAP  20 


53 


21.  HERCULES 

Between  Vega  and  the  CROWN  lies  the  con- 
stellation HERCULES.  It  has  the  form  of  a 
great  lily;  its  stalk  bends  under  the  CROWN, 
and  slopes  upwards  to  the  left,  opening  its  cup 
toward  Vega. 

The  kneeling  figure  of  Hercules  is  seen  up- 
side down  in  the  Northern  Hemisphere.  The 
star  at  the  foot  of  the  map  is  his  head,  close  to 
the  head  of  OPHIUCHUS  ;  the  horizontal  line  of 
stars  above  it  is  his  arm ;  the  three  stars  next 
Vega  form  his  bent  leg,  while  the  long  curved 
line  on  the  left  shows  the  outline  of  his  other 
leg  and  his  back. 

It  is  in  the  direction  of  HERCULES  that  the 
Sun  is  at  present  slowly  travelling  in  his  great 
orbit,  probably  round  the  Pleiades  (Map  12). 

HERCULES  is  best  seen  from  May  to  October. 

Hercules,  the  most  celebrated  hero  of  an- 
tiquity, was  a  son  of  Jupiter,  and  a  grandson 
of  Perseus.  He  was  promised  immortality  if 
he  performed  twelve  difficult  tasks  for  King 
Eurystheus,  and  these  "labors  of  Hercules" 
led  him  into  many  a  strange  adventure  and  into 
many  far-off  lands.  Some  time  after  complet- 
ing them,  he  unwittingly  put  on  a  garment 
that  had  been  steeped  in  the  poisonous  blood 
of  a  Centaur  he  had  slain.  It  caused  him  fear- 
ful torture,  to  escape  which  he  ascended  a 
funeral  pile  and  caused  it  to  be  set  on  fire. 
But  a  cloud  descended,  which,  amid  peals  of 

54 


MAP  2f. 


55 


HERCULES — Continued 

thunder,  carried  him  up  to  heaven,  where  he 
became  immortal,  and  dwelt  among  the  gods. 

22.  t  LIBRA  ( The  Balances) 

LIBRA,  the  seventh  constellation  of  the  Zo- 
diac, lies  half-way  between  Spica  and  OPHIU- 
CHUS.  It  is  found  by  drawing  a  line  from  Spica 
towards  Altair,  which  brings  us,  just  under  the 
head  of  the  SERPENT  (Map  20),  to  the  top  star 
of  a  triangle  of  faint  stars,  the  brightest  in  the 
group. 

f  SCORPIO  (The  Scorpion} 

SCORPIO  lies  directly  below  OPHIUCHUS, 
and  may  be  found  by  drawing  a  downward  line 
at  right  angles  to  Alt  air  and  his  two  compan- 
ions. This  leads  us  to  the  bright  star  Antares, 
the  heart  of  the  SCORPION,  below  which  its 
tail  sweeps  round  in  a  magnificent  curve  of 
bright  stars.  Three  stars  on  the  right  of 
Antares  are  the  SCORPION'S  head. 

SCORPIO  is  the  eighth  sign  of  the  Zodiac. 
Its  lower  stars  do  not  rise  above  the  horizon  of 
Britain,  and  it  is  seen  in  June  and  July  only. 

56 


MAP  22. 


57 


23.         t  SAGITTARIUS  (The  Archer) 

This  constellation,  which  lies  just  left  of 
SCORPIO,  is  also  not  well  seen  in  the  latitude 
of  Britain,  as  it  does  not  rise  very  far  above 
the  horizon,  and  is  blotted  out  by  the  long 
twilight  of  summer  evenings. 

SAGITTARIUS  may  be  found  by  drawing  a  line 
from  the  left  arm  of  the  cross  in  CYGNUS  (Map 
7)  to  the  star  above  Altair,  and  continuing  it 
for  a  little  more  than  its  own  length;  this  will 
bring  us  to  the  brightest  star  in  the  constella- 
tion of  KAUS  AUSTRALIS. 

SAGITTARIUS  is  represented  as  a  strange 
creature,  with  the  head  and  shoulders  of  a  man, 
and  the  body  and  legs  of  a  horse,  who  is  shoot- 
ing an  arrow  at  the  heart  of  the  SCORPION. 
Four  stars  in  a  perpendicular  line  on  the  right 
form  his  bow,  and  a  little  triangle  of  stars  to 
the  right  of  them  forms  the  point  of  the  arrow. 

SAGITTARIUS  is  the  ninth  sign  of  the  Zodiac. 
It  is  seen  during  July  and  August,  and  in  the 
earlier  hours  of  the  evening  in  September. 


58 


MAP  23. 


24.     t  AQUARIUS  (The  Water-Bearer) 

We  have  now  come  round  to  the  autumn 
groups  again,  when  PEGASUS  is  high  overhead. 

Close  below  the  head  of  PEGASUS,  a  zig-zag 
line  of  four  stars  close  together  will  be  seen, 
with  another  star  some  distance  to  the  right, 
lower  down ;  these  are  the  principal  stars  of 
AQUARIUS,  the  eleventh  sign  of  the  Zodiac. 

fCAPRlGORNUS  (The  Sea-Goaf] 

Some  distance  below  these  stars  are  two  stars 
close  together;  they  belong  to  the  tenth  con- 
stellation of  the  Zodiac,  CAPRICORNUS,  the 
Sea-Goat.  From  these,  a  line  of  fainter  stars 
curves  round  to  the  right,  ending  in  the  two 
stars  that  have  already  been  pointed  out  as 
being  most  easily  found  from  A Itair. 

The  above  two  constellations  are  seen  from 
August  to  October. 

\  PlSClS  AUSTRALIS  (The  Southern  Fish) 

The  three  right-hand  stars  of  CETUS  point 
down  to  a  bright  star, — below  AQUARIUS,  and 
not  far  above  the  horizon, — called  Fomalhaut, 
in  the  constellation  of  Piscis  AUSTRALIS. 
Being  so  low  down,  it  is  not  well  seen  in  the 
latitude  of  Britain,  and  is  best  seen  during 
October. 


MAP  24. 


61 


25.  CAPELLA    QuARTER.-f Winter.) 


30 


,     ,_  'Taurus*'/ 

_. '                     Gemini        ,/     /  * 

Cancer     \  *X      U"" " \   "• 

/Canmin.r         \ 

•""* {          #         /  :      *    **    *  \ 


Hydra      } -"'  \"  ^  x-    -... 

Monoceros    *^--.v    *.        /'      • 


£v/  /  "I    Lepus*  I     Eridanus 

'j      .         /     •»  Canis  j          *       j  * 

<^    \  \  */  Columba    /   \ 


/  Coelum      . 
Argo         ^     I  ____  -"""*\          I 

{       Pictor.  X"-C;^ 

•;       xs 


30 


20      10  20      10      no      20      10      .to 

MARCH     |  FEBRUARY  I    JANUARY    | 


MAP   25. 


68 


26.  PLOUGH    QUARTER.-^ Spring.) 


30 


30 


• 

/  J  \ 

'  »  /    Canes  venatici    \      Ursa  major  *V'""S-. 

'7         *        ( 

'    Bootes  \  ......  %       1  /Leo  minor 

—          *%  "' 


H- X  +      *    T        * 

}     *  \  Leo    * 

\  /'  %) 

v --• 

\  * 


---. 

•'' 


Virgo 


* 


Sextans 


*      {  ,---7"   \    Crater  j 

Libra  ^^^^  -------  /  Corvus  *  \  / 

/"         >\*  -•; 


....  ."'""     Antlia 

\ 

n 
Centaurus 


Lupus  }  / "         • 

^  / 

20  10  .10  «0  10  30  20  10  .10 

JUNE  | MAY I APRIL  t 


64 


SO 


MAP  26. 


65 


27.  VEGA   QUARTER.-(&/mmer.> 


30 


_______  KVHI  *»' 

\   Draco    *    """**" 

K         .' 

.-•'    " */  .  *        * .  • 

*    ." 

:  \ 

\  ty^'j^r       *  x*  \ 

Cygnus      )      *  -1    /  •  *  /n 

B      Jb         •      •  •      A  (Corona  ' 

s    /  \^        \  • .  •• 

Vulpecula       *%>-x'    Hercules  *    * 


30 


j"7^^::"C\.........--<X.  "/; . 

\  CX     «  *  /  *";          :* 

\*%    :  *  .--'  v  I         o 

(1U:V.'/  '      ^    §;    \     .»    *  v--v-J     » 

•"''  ^  7  A     -i      '••'"'    ^%-<  I  Serpens 

^  /  Aquila         ;    ^     >^  Opliiucus  X 

^        V,..%  t  XS  iJ>         <  4. »;-.........* 


+* 


•.. 

\">--/Sagittarius  ..-:- 

S    /  '  X-p0     f    /  Lipus 

-•••  /-  ............  ..   /;«<    4  /    • 

.\  cor.Aus':/-'     j  r-\  » 
.  \  ..................  ^••-;^-f  ^  \ 

>.  _________  ./       /   .  Ara  \  \  \ 

/""^Telescopium  (  \  \ 


SO 


•O  10  .10  20  |O  2O  20  1O  .10 

SEPTEMBER!  AUGUST          I J  U  L  V T 


66 


MAP  27. 


\     */ 

If/ 

$/ 


"*\    V  /    f  / 


1 


28. 


CASSIOPEIA   QUARTER.-^ Autumn. 


^RIGHT^O    ASCENSION 


XXII 


* 

s\  Cassiopeia  J* 
•*'    *%  .**** 


>•  a    « ''""X    *     ,A Cassiopeia y* 

Perseus/       #  Lacerta 

*       /  •'          *  Andromeda 

'--..-----_,  *  ,\ 

*         \      *      :  .*••*""*•*-..   -•''"    : 

i      *            ••».  »  ^**  *      • 

.*'*<    Triatig  l,    N  % 

30   f...*-        vv%          •     /  •  ,        #/  #      *  /_     30 

"7%  ^     C'     / 

V*  Aries  ""X-<f-  Pegasus 

Pisces       v£  * 

V" :  "v\ .  *  **  *     *>->.    *  *  */ 

f--'*  .*  f"*«       ,......^        **V^, A 

U  %^""         "\      pf  ^ 

*          \/"         ..    _* 

*    *   I  #  ^.  :        Aquarius         /""\ 

!/.  „  Cetus  :  *          *?  „ 

Erid..%%-,  *  \     * 

•          i  %i 

r--"''       ^""* L ..../ "*- 

)     Fornax  /  j*Pis.Aus. 

Sculptor  ; 

— ..--"'^      "-'X 


V 


^       \  «  Phoenix 

s,         X 


•          • 

Grus  • 

*        * 


30 


20  10  .10  20  10  no  '20  10  .10 

D  E  C  EM^BxE  R      )         NOVEMBER       |  OCTOBER          | 


68 


MAP  28. 


MAP  29.      NORTH  POLAR  STARS. 


. . 

X    * 


*  •  y^        \  \  *    o 

r  A  I  *-\  v-s 


-*        _. 

•    :  • — ---" 


70 


MAP  29. 


71 


MAP  3O.      SOUTH  POLAR  STARS. 


^  *   i] i    'A  N        /*-•""  -  •'«  ^~ 

*  /  -v      ^  «\  --  »,       • 

•  /  .2   \  •  .V       «'  * 

5,     /•    "•**      ;    o  <>    !  HH 

V     '*     *      «N'    •-        *v-  •  OA^rT  \*  p 

\    '»    *    55     <  r^ .         **•..  j  a  .  •  a. 


No  corresponding  plate  of  constellation  figures  is  given  for  this  map, 
as  all  the  constellations  in  it  are  of  modern  origin,  except  ARGO,  CEN- 
TAURUS,  LUPUS,  SAGITTARIUS,  ERIDANUS,  and  ARA. 

72 


MAP  3O. 


73 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 


This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below, 
or  on  the  date  to  which  renewed.  Renewals  only: 

Tel.  No.  642-3405 

Renewals  may  be  made  4  days  prior  to  date  due. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


INTER-LffiRARY 


LOAN  ft 
JUN6    1973 


INTERLIBRARY  LOAN 


51986 


UNIV.  OF  CALIF.  BERK. 


THE    UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA 


LIBRA! 


re  I7ii3 


THE   UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA 


LIBRARY   OF   THE   UNIVERSITY 


